This invention relates to a towed device and more specifically to an improved instrument positioning device for use with a ship or submarine while cruising in water.
The continually increasing sophistication in the Naval Sciences includes the more efficient detection of submarines. A form of passive submarine detection is one in which an operator listens on a passive acoustical receiver for sound generated by a submarine at distances remote from the listener. Modern equipment provides a trained observer with means to measure noise from or detect ships and submarines by their characteristic self-generated noise patterns. Therefore, one means of prevention of detection of submarines is to know what sounds are generated thereon, thus, providing a more quiet ship.
Means of measuring generated sound of submarines includes such techniques as operating the ship near a fixed acoustical array and measuring the sound produced, but certain inherent problems exist with this system. For instance, it is difficult to operate a submarine under water near such an array without seriously endangering life and the equipment on the submarine.
It is therefore, an object of this invention to provide an improved towed apparatus for positioning devices measuring sound generated by a vehicle in water.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved device to tow sound receiving apparatus by a submarine for measuring near-sound noise generation of the submarine which may be analyzed.
It is yet a further object of this invention to provide a towed device for towing a transducer for sound detection which is spaced from and has its position controllable by the towing ship.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide a towed vehicle positionable in the water with respect to the towing vehicle having a variable relationship between the center buoyancy and its center of gravity.
Still a further object is to provide a towed vehicle having planer surfaces which selects a position with respect to its towing vehicle that is determined by the length of the towing cable, the amount of lift in its planer surfaces, and the relationship between the center of gravity and the center of buoyancy which predetermines the angle of attack of the planer surfaces.
It is still a further object of this invention to provide a towed vehicle for positioning the hydrophone array about a submarine, comprising, a housing having a wing for providing lift when the housing is towed through water, means coupled between the submarine and housing for towing the housing, and means within the housing for varying the relative position between the center of buoyancy and the center of gravity of the housing to dispose the wing in a given position.
And yet another object of this invention is to provide a vehicle of the type described wherein the buoyancy is controllable between a net positive and a net negative buoyancy.
It is to be understood that this invention is applicable to many situations wherein it is desirable to make underwater observations and measurements. For instance, the positionable device is discussed in this application as towing a hydrophone array for measuring near field noise generated by a submarine. The device maybe used equally well to support a television camera and lights for observations of the bottom of the ocean. Another use could be towing thermocouples for temperature measurements, magnetometers, nuclear sensing devices, decoys containing noise generators and the like.